What is new and exciting at OSG

11

April 2016

Composites Application Corner- it's all about protection!

A new helmet made of composites, Half Cap, was introduced to Major League Baseball (MLB) for its 2016 Spring Training. Boombang, a company based out of Los Angeles, developed the Half Cap which is constructed with fiber composite, an advanced energy-absorbing impact layer, a foam liner and a breathable moisture-wicking cover. About 20 pitchers are trying out the new helmet during training camp.

Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ won the 2015 Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon by designing and constructing “SURE HOUSE” to prevent damage from hurricanes. They incorporated shutters made of composites for “SURE HOUSE” which was the biggest challenge for them. Not only did the shutter have to be lightweight, but also easy to pull down and lock in case of a storm. Utilizing composite materials was their solution as they provide high strength while being lightweight.

A new type of fiber composite was developed by the engineers at the University of Utah to make a portable scanner for detecting alkane vapor (an ingredient of gasoline, airplane fuel and a homemade bomb). According to them, the only thing available currently for detecting alkane is a large heavy device in a lab. In order to make the portable scanner, they developed a new type of fiber composite with two nanofibers that transfers electrons from one to the other, but when there is alkane, alkane adheres to the materials and prevents electrons to transfer between the materials. The newly developed composite materials will be utilized in the sensor array of the portable scanner.